


Lindt and Earl

by olimakiella



Series: Tea Arc [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Caffeine Addiction, Coffee, Established Relationship, Hot Chocolate, M/M, Relationship Advice, Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-05
Updated: 2012-09-05
Packaged: 2017-11-13 15:26:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/504964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/olimakiella/pseuds/olimakiella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's time for Christmas dinner. Harry and Hermione hope for civility. Perhaps Christmas wishes come true.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lindt and Earl

**Author's Note:**

> This piece of fiction is based on characters and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros. Inc. No money is being made, no copyright or trademark infringement, or offense is intended.

"Pst! Harry. Harry!" Harry looked up at the urgent whisper he could hear at the entrance to his kitchen. He rested back on his heels from fixing the gap he finally found in his kitchen window. He'd have to thank Draco for cello-taping that decoration there, otherwise he'd never have found it.

"Hermione? What?" His face grew solemn as he realised that with her in the kitchen, it left Draco in his living room. With Ron. "No. Tell me no ones dead." His hand gripped his wand tighter. Hermione shook her head, but the denial did nothing to soothe his suspicion, as her face still wore a look of shock. His brow marred a little as he cocked his head to the side. "Then..."

She forgot words and just grabbed his hand. As she pulled him towards the living room, Harry's hand went from stiff to limp and his mouth went slack when he heard, "I know, right?" said very emphatically from around the corner. It was Ron. He sounded exasperated, but at the same time, Harry could hear a smile in his voice.

"Do you see what I see?" Hermione whispered in his ear. He knew now why she wanted to be so quiet. This was like watching a deer in the woods. Do anything loud or rash and you scare it away. He wished he had a camera. He'd have to visit his pensieve later.

He kept his voice as soft as he could and craned his head to meet her ear too. "I see, but I think I'm hallucinating." He squinted his eyes and then gasped. "Did you put something in their drinks when I wasn't looking?" He turned to her and didn't even blink when she whacked him on the back of the head.

In the living room, Ron sat on the two-seater sofa Harry had bought three days after he moved into his home in muggle London. Draco sat in the armchair. He'd been staying over for two days now, helping Harry prepare for Christmas dinner and mentally sharpening his wits to be around Ron for more than an hour. Harry had been dreading the encounter, Ron had never really said anything on his visit a week ago. Draco had promised to be as civil as the company present, but that didn't really mean anything and sounded like something a Slytherin would say to get out of something they didn't want to commit to. But he'd been so happy to have the man stay for longer than a night and subsequent morning that he'd let it go. Draco's shoes were off and his legs were tucked under him as he sipped the, possibly spiked, Special Edition Lindt Extra Creamy hot chocolate Harry had given him half an hour ago. For a moment in the kitchen, he'd been afraid he'd come in to find either Ron covered in chocolate or Draco covered in hot tea. Upon inspection, Ron's cup of Earl Grey was half empty, but the contents seemed to be in his stomach, not Draco's two hundred galleon Chanel jumper.

"I don't care how rich or poor anyone is," he heard Draco say after Ron's exclamation. Hermione's hand, still on his arm, tightened, and though Harry winced, he definitely understood. This was not good ground to cover when trying to be civil to Ron Weasley. "Seeing some of the prices of things in the stores these days, it still hurts the money bag of my soul." Draco's hand went to his chest and pressed against it earnestly. They waited in the entrance hall.

Ron laughed. Laughed. Then he nodded. "I tried to shop on the same salary I had last year. I was only able to get three quarters of what I got before. And that was just food" He shook his head.

Harry inhaled sharply, but quietly at hearing an actual conversation between the two men. About finances. "It started with me asking about Christmas shopping," Hermione said faintly. "I didn't know what to do when it turned to the price of everything going up. Ron made a comment about being rich meaning one could afford anything they wanted and Malfoy scoffed." She looked at him then, her brown eyes wide. "I was coming to get you when he said, 'The price of things these days, the rich can hardly afford staying that way'." She gestured a little to the living room at the social experiment taking place. "Then this happened," she ended with, at a loss for words. "What should we do?" She looked a little awed.

Harry raised his hand a little and Hermione quieted more. "No, no, this is good," he said patting the hand on his arm. "Do nothing." He turned stern eyes on her and she nodded quickly.

In the living room, Draco nodded in sympathy. "Yeah. Inflation's a bitch, isn't she?" He looked up, catching Harry's gesture. "Is dinner ready?" Harry seemed stunned at being addressed for a moment, until Ron turned to him too.

"Mate?" His expression showed confusion and concern. His eyes went from Harry to his wife standing in the hall. He frowned.

Harry opened his mouth to talk, his head turning to Hermione, since she always had something to say. She didn't seem to have an answer ready, though. In the end they didn't have to say anything, because the ding of his oven answered for them.


End file.
